Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 10 February 2021, I was extraordinarily fortunate to visit with a wonderful group of Queenslanders at the Liworaji Aboriginal Corporation, based in Ipswich near my home office in Springfield. On that day, I met with Aunty Lilly Davidson, Aunty Maria Davidson, Miss Samantha Carr and Miss Kianna Fisher. They are wonderful, wonderful people. I'd also like to acknowledge the role of Aunty Faye Carr, a Yuggera elder, in the formation and operation of the Liworaji Aboriginal Corporation. Aunty Faye Carr was named the 2017 NAIDOC Female Elder of the Year. She is an extraordinarily wonderful Queenslander.

The Liworaji Aboriginal Corporation provides a number of essential services, not just to our First Nations people, our Aboriginal and Indigenous people, but also to everyone in the greater Ipswich region. These include services in relation to a breakfast program, which is called five bridges; domestic and family violence awareness; agricultural training courses; readiness for work courses; cemetery maintenance at Deebing Creek, which used to be the home of an Aboriginal mission; the youth didgeridoo program venue provision; cross-cultural awareness programs; and even a partnership with Hutchinson Builders, a great Queensland company that seeks to involve First Nations people in its construction activities.

Sitting down and meeting Aunty Lilly, Aunty Maria, Samantha and Kianna, I got that feeling, which I'm sure you've had, Mr Acting Deputy President Fawcett, when visiting various constituents and organisations, of just knowing you are in the presence of wonderful people in a welcoming environment who are doing great things for our community. Some of the stories they told me about the work they do really touched me profoundly. They told me of an extremely agitated young First Nations man with schizophrenia who came into the office on one occasion. One of the aunties sat him down with a notepad and a pen and just asked him to write down his feelings. Through that process they helped calm him down so they could then get him the assistance that he needed. They told me the story of a local family that was having all sorts of issues with child safety authorities, who were taking their children from them. The family was going through all sorts of ruptures. Through the assistance of the two aunties, the Liworaji Aboriginal Corporation provided that family with assistance so it could be reunited and could function again as a family unit. That is just an outstanding story.

As they were speaking and telling me these stories, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that an Australian of African descent had come into the store. They actually have a bit of an op shop associated with the headquarters of the corporation and they have all sorts of clothes and things available. This lady had come in and she was choosing a few garments. She smiled and there were a lot of welcoming exchanges. She left, and after she had left they told us how they'd provided assistance to this lady. She wasn't a First Nations person, she wasn't of Aboriginal descent, but they provide assistance to everyone in the community. They'd assisted this lady to obtain some part-time cleaning work and they were always there to provide her with the support she needed to get on with her life and to provide for her family. But, more than that, they provide a welcoming place where she can come in, meet with them, have a cup of tea, sit down and obtain that community connection.

They also talked about a phenomenon whereby a lot of Aboriginal workers, during their lunch breaks, congregate in the corporation's lunch room because they find it an extraordinarily safe place to come and tell their stories and exchange notes. Sometimes they have trouble convincing them that they need to leave so they can get on with their work. To me, it just underlined the welcoming nature of this organisation and the outstanding contribution that all of these ladies provide to their community. I'd like to say to the Liworaji Aboriginal Corporation: I was honoured to spend time in your presence and it's an absolute honour to inform the Senate of Australia of the wonderful work you do for our community.